Psychology of Wriiting

Written by Victoria Maradiaga

Why do we write? Each person has their own opinion, but no matter what the answers is, writing often serves as a fundamental form of the expression of creativity and communication. Psychological studies has proven time and time again that individuals who write are typically more observant, empathetic, and in better control of emotions and facial expressions.  

According to medicine.nus, a recent study by The Asia-Pasific Scholar used a mixed methods approach to investigate the experience of students who are majoring in health humanities when in creative writing and staged reading settings to evolve in empathetic awareness and critical thinking. A mixed methods approach is one where researchers combine quantitative and qualitative data into one study to understand an issue— Quantitative research focusing on making meaning through mathematical techniques and qualitative research using non-numerical data to achieve understanding in a person's social reality, attitudes, motivations, and beliefs.  

The 20 students who participated in this study engaged in a seminar that read Extinctions by Josephine Wilson and worked on a piece of writing, presented during the seminar over a 13-week period. Apparently, the act of reading itself has demonstrated benefits of improving the processing of experiences and developing empathy.

After completing the seminar and writing assignment, the students were asked to fill out a survey which asked questions about how the activities affected them emotionally. Medicine.nus states that “when asked to rate their experience in the staged reading project, 92.9% of the respondents felt that writing a creative piece helped them to understand topics from a different perspective; with 85.7% reporting that the use of creative writing helped to create emotional connections.”

Individuals involved in creative writing and reading were able to develop empathetic thinking, communication skills, and overall connection to others.